It was upon waking that President Huo suddenly noticed something was wrong.
The curtains were drawn, and he was lying in bed. Although still in their room, everything before his eyes seemed subtly different from his memory.
President Huo supported himself on his arm to sit up, watching as daylight fell in from outside the window, casting onto the somewhat old floor grain.
President Huo was a bit dazed and looked down at his hands.
Before he could come back to his senses, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a youth rushed in, panting: “Quick quick quick, let’s go go go—”
President Huo’s gaze instantly focused, and he grabbed the youth’s arm.
The youth who was grabbed was familiar with the routine and pulled back at him, ran a few steps but couldn’t move, turned back puzzled: “What’s wrong?”
President Huo’s throat moved slightly, his brows tightly furrowed as he looked up at him steadily, without speaking.
“Fever again?” The boy leaned on the edge of the bed, one knee propped up as he came closer, and pressed against his forehead. “No, you’re even cooler than me.”
Noticing that he was covered in cold sweat, the youth dropped his schoolbag, gripped his sleeve to wipe President Huo, and turned to pour him a glass of water.
“I’m not just saying this, and you shouldn’t always be impatient to hear it.”
The youth rambled on while pouring water: “You should go to the hospital to check this problem quickly. If your parents won’t take you, can’t you go by yourself? If you don’t want to go to your family’s hospital, I’ll accompany you to another one. Don’t worry, I’ve got your back…”
President Huo’s voice was hoarse: “Liang Xiao.”
The youth was taken aback, looked up at him holding the water glass.
President Huo closed his eyes forcefully, opened them, looked at his own hands that were obviously smaller, slowly clenched them, and looked up at him.
The particularly thin boy stood by the bed, his expression somewhat startled by this sentence. His chest rose and fell several times, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
The room gradually fell silent.
Young Liang Xiao stood for a while, smiled, and put the water glass into President Huo’s hand: “They all told you?”
President Huo was slightly taken aback: “What?”
“I thought you were quite a gullible fat sheep.”
Liang Xiao clicked his tongue, casually tore off the band-aid on his forehead, and boldly pulled up a chair to sit down: “Yes, I’m a con artist. I have no money, only my life. Do what you want.”
President Huo frowned, stepped forward, and noticed the clear wariness and vigilance in Liang Xiao’s eyes.
President Huo’s chest tightened sharply, and he suddenly understood what was happening.
He knew what time he had returned to.
He was being secretly targeted by the branch family, and little Liang Xiao was protecting him, opposing the branch family at every turn, provoking them to surround and attack, yet still stubbornly refusing to leave.
To force Liang Xiao to leave, the branch family had leaked information to a fraud group, threatening little Liang Xiao, saying they would reveal his true identity to him.
He wasn’t supposed to know Liang Xiao’s real name.
President Huo stood up: “No, I—”
Liang Xiao crossed his arms and looked at him.
Young Liang Xiao’s acting was already methodical. Once he categorized him into the opposing camp, the boy immediately skillfully adopted a layer of hooligan hostility from who knows where he had observed it.
Instantly separating him, firmly keeping him outside his defenses.
President Huo’s gaze fell on the patch of frightening blue-purple bruises hidden at his collar. He lowered his eyes, was silent for a moment, and then gripped Liang Xiao’s wrist.
Liang Xiao was very vigilant and quickly hugged the table leg: “What are you doing? Let me tell you, I can take you down with just one hand—”
President Huo held Liang Xiao’s hand, gradually made him let go, and slowly pulled him into his arms.
The boy appeared nonchalant, but his particularly thin shoulders and back were already sharp enough to hurt others and himself. His chest, pressed against his, was trembling slightly.
President Huo looked down at the two movie tickets Liang Xiao was clutching tightly in his hand.
“Let’s not watch the movie for now.”
President Huo stroked his hair: “You’re very tired, take a rest.”
Liang Xiao stared at him intently, frowning slightly.
President Huo held Liang Xiao’s hand, led him into the bathroom, then came back out to get ointment for internal and external injuries and pain relievers.
Liang Xiao’s gaze followed him constantly. When he noticed President Huo’s hand touching his collar, he reflexively wanted to shout for help, but President Huo gently stroked his back: “Don’t move.”
Liang Xiao didn’t move anymore, his shoulders tense as he sat up straight.
President Huo took the movie tickets and placed them carefully to the side. When Liang Xiao relaxed slightly, he helped him carefully remove his tightly zipped jacket.
“It’s from falling,” Liang Xiao couldn’t hide everything, extremely calm. “Don’t let my appearance fool you, I’m still very tough, very formidable—”
President Huo listened quietly and nodded slightly.
“…” Liang Xiao didn’t quite believe it himself. “Which part did you believe?”
President Huo looked up at him: “That you’re very formidable.”
Liang Xiao was taken aback, and before he could react, President Huo had already turned to adjust the hot water.
Realizing that President Huo even wanted to help him bathe, Liang Xiao stepped on the edge of the bathtub, nimbly jumped onto the sink, and politely said: “No no no, I’ll do it myself…”
President Huo didn’t argue with him and nodded: “Alright.”
Liang Xiao vaguely felt something was off about him. Although still angry about “good friend actually eavesdropped on his secret,” he ultimately couldn’t help but worry, carefully coming down: “Fat sheep?”
President Huo said softly: “Huo Lan.”
“What’s that?” Liang Xiao was taken aback, didn’t think too much. “Did you have another nightmare?”
President Huo looked at him and shook his head slightly.
Liang Xiao was half-believing, half-doubtful. He watched him leave the bathroom intently, carefully examined the medications for a long time, quickly tucked them into his pocket, took them away, and closed the door.
The sound of water splashing started in the bathroom. President Huo sat on the living room sofa, slowly searched through the sofa cracks, found two square-folded papers, and opened them to look.
They were notes from Liang Xiao inviting him to watch a movie.
In his youth, he wasn’t liked by his parents and often had nightmares, dreaming about his mother’s danger during his birth, dreaming about his mother’s body having accidents due to his proximity.
Little Liang Xiao didn’t understand the details, but whenever he noticed something was wrong with his mood, he would generously invite him to watch a movie.
President Huo wasn’t sure how Liang Xiao had earned the money for the movies. He kept the tickets safe and quietly waited in the hall for a while, hearing the water stop, and the door being pushed open bit by bit.
Liang Xiao had applied the medicine himself, came out of the bathroom, hugging all those medications, and tiptoed toward the door.
He walked carefully, turned his head halfway, and met President Huo’s gaze directly: “…”
Liang Xiao deflated, stood with his neck stiff, ready to be slaughtered.
President Huo looked at him.
Liang Xiao stood with his chest out and head high, heroically closing his eyes. His hair had just been dried and still looked particularly soft, his skin showing a healthy light redness from the hot water.
Without his usual concealment, the boy’s features already had particularly delicate contours, with deep and elegant eyebrows and lashes, and a more expensive waterproof band-aid on his forehead than before.
President Huo stood up and walked toward him.
Liang Xiao had vaguely lowered his guard, but still instinctively tensed when approached. Just as he was about to stand straight against the wall, he was already grabbed by the wrist and pulled over by President Huo.
Liang Xiao was very concerned: “What are you doing? Let me tell you, I—”
President Huo stroked his hair, pushed it aside slightly, and gently blew on the area covered by the band-aid.
Liang Xiao’s words halted, and his entire person froze in place.
“I won’t believe what they say,” President Huo said. “I know you’re hiding something from me. I’m not called Feiyang, I’m called Huo Lan.”
“…” Liang Xiao opened his mouth: “Oh.”
“Don’t be afraid of them, they can’t cause me trouble.”
President Huo looked at Liang Xiao: “I’m not afraid of those fraud groups, not afraid of the people who come to take care of me, and not afraid of you deceiving me.”
Liang Xiao gesticulated wildly: “What about the really formidable ones? If you run, they’ll beat you, beat you to death.”
President Huo: “Not afraid.”
Liang Xiao glared fiercely: “Wherever you run to, they’ll catch you there.”
President Huo: “Not afraid.”
President Huo couldn’t bear to think about what Liang Xiao had gone through. After a moment of silence, he said softly: “I will make them pay the price.”
Liang Xiao stared at him blankly, muttered something softly, and reached up to pat President Huo’s head.
President Huo held his wrist: “What’s wrong?”
“Foolishly brave,” Liang Xiao knocked on his head. “Afraid of nothing…”
President Huo: “I’m afraid of you leaving.”
Liang Xiao was stunned.
“Everything,” President Huo slowly gripped the youth’s thin wrist in his palm, was quiet for a moment, led Liang Xiao to sit down. “If you say it, I’ll believe it. I’ll go to the hospital with you, get examined, cooperate with treatment.”
Liang Xiao was still concerned, pinched his face and tugged.
“Whatever needs to be done, I can do it,” President Huo said. “Don’t leave, don’t take risks.”
President Huo’s tone was so unusual that Liang Xiao hesitated for a while, nodded uncertainly, and handed over one tube of medicine he had hidden in his pocket.
President Huo’s shoulders tensed silently. He bent down, scooped up Liang Xiao, and went into the bedroom.
Liang Xiao had always prided himself on being able to beat him. Caught off guard with his legs off the ground, he struggled in disbelief, trying to jump down and run away, but was already carefully placed on the bed by President Huo.
“I haven’t differentiated yet!” Liang Xiao hugged his small blanket tightly. “No no no no—”
President Huo held his hand and said softly: “You need to differentiate safely.”
Liang Xiao looked at him tearfully: “QAQ.”
“Don’t disregard yourself, don’t casually risk your life.”
President Huo: “If you find I’m sick, call 120 and let doctors handle it.”
Liang Xiao frowned and stared at him for a long time, vaguely sensing something was wrong, and held President Huo’s wrist: “Will something happen to you?”
Liang Xiao reacted extremely quickly, connecting President Huo’s recent frequent high fevers, suddenly became serious, and supported himself on his arm to jump down: “Let’s go go go to the hospital, why are you still dawdling with me here!”
President Huo held him back: “Liang Xiao.”
Do you understand the gravity, when will you ever care about your own matters?”
Liang Xiao scolded him with anger: “The last few times I dragged you to the hospital, you wouldn’t go, insisting that studying was important! Is studying more important than life? Don’t you know that when life is gone, everything is gone? You—”
President Huo’s chest hurt almost to the point of suffocation. He closed his eyes and pulled him back to his side.
Liang Xiao didn’t know where he got such strength, became particularly angry, and struggled several times: “I can’t break free!”
President Huo didn’t let go to accommodate him, his shoulders tensed tightly, firmly gripping Liang Xiao’s wrist, forcefully suppressing his heavy breathing back into his chest.
Liang Xiao sensed something was wrong with him, was stunned for a while, looked down, and carefully hugged him: “What’s really wrong?”
Liang Xiao hugged President Huo and gently rocked him: “Had a nightmare? Dreamed I ran away?”
Liang Xiao had watched many TV dramas and guessed wildly while thinking: “Dreamed you were beaten up, and I sacrificed myself to save you? Don’t worry, I haven’t lived enough yet, where would I find time to save you? You should hurry to the hospital to save yourself…”
President Huo asked softly: “Do you promise?”
Little Liang Xiao was still very superstitious about making vows. He opened his mouth, thought carefully, and couldn’t immediately answer.
President Huo hooked his hand: “Promise me.”
Liang Xiao was taken aback, came back to his senses, and slapped his hand away: “Why make vows about this kind of thing! If you really get into trouble—pei pei pei that’s unlucky… what if you really need me?”
Liang Xiao was puzzled by his behavior and glared at President Huo: “Don’t say unlucky things in the future!”
President Huo lowered his gaze: “Alright.”
Liang Xiao pondered for a while, moved closer to him, held President Huo’s hand, and tugged it a couple of times.
Liang Xiao nudged him and said softly: “What did you dream about?”
President Huo listened to the heartbeat and closed his eyes.
Liang Xiao had once told him similar stories about people who dreamed of future events, prepared in advance to cope, and made up for all regrets.
It was just a too-long nightmare; actually, nothing had happened yet. Liang Xiao was still fine, hadn’t almost lost his life because of him.
They hadn’t separated, hadn’t missed each other, hadn’t been left with unresolved feelings.
No regrets, no unattainable desires.
…
President Huo opened his eyes: “It wasn’t a dream.”
Liang Xiao was taken aback.
“In three days, I will have differentiation obstruction, high fever, and fall into a coma,” President Huo said. “To save me, you will be injured almost to the point of losing your life.”
Liang Xiao slowly frowned, pressed his lips together, and tightened his grip on President Huo’s hand.
“Then I will lose you for a long time.”
President Huo carefully placed him back on the bed and pulled up the blanket: “We will each encounter many things, and it will take me a long time to find you.”
Liang Xiao was wrapped into a ball, half his face buried in the blanket. After a moment of silence, he frowned and muttered softly: “Then don’t look for me…”
President Huo lowered his gaze and didn’t speak.
“If something really happens, don’t overthink it.”
Liang Xiao tugged at President Huo: “I choose everything myself. I always think things through carefully before making choices, very mature, very calm. Once I choose, I accept it, not blaming others.”
Liang Xiao was rarely serious, staring at him intently: “If something really happens to me, you can’t blame yourself, do you hear me?”
President Huo shook his head.
Liang Xiao found this stubborn block of wood most frustrating every day, unable to reason with. He took a breath, wanting to sit up and argue with him, but President Huo gently pressed his shoulder.
“You’re very tired, get a good sleep first.”
President Huo avoided his injuries: “When you wake up, take me to the hospital.”
Liang Xiao didn’t quite believe the fraud group would tell him even this: “How do you know I’m very tired…”
“In the future, don’t buy movie tickets at the cinema, they’ll be twice as expensive.”
President Huo stroked his hair: “It costs a lot more money.”
Liang Xiao: “…”
Liang Xiao: “?!?!”
President Huo promptly grabbed Liang Xiao, who was springing up, saw his furious demeanor, his lips lifting slightly as he pulled him back: “I’ll rest with you.”
“I’m not resting,” Liang Xiao was burning with fighting spirit. “I’m going to tear down the cinema.”
President Huo said softly: “Liang Xiao.”
Liang Xiao wasn’t used to being called by his real name yet and unexpectedly lost his strength. He was obediently pulled back to bed, drew a little figure in the air, labeled it “trash cinema,” and forcefully crossed it out.
President Huo looked at him, lowered his gaze, and smiled.
Liang Xiao looked at President Huo, became a bit wary again, and pinched his face: “Are you really the fat sheep?”
“Yes,” President Huo held his hand. “I am—”
President Huo thought for a moment, starting from the beginning: “Parallel forces produce pure elementary particles in the universe, forming multiverse theory with our known universe.”
Liang Xiao: “…”
President Huo drew a question mark.
Liang Xiao: “You really are the fat sheep.”
Liang Xiao didn’t understand a single word and didn’t want to listen at all. He had worked a whole night without sleep to buy these two movie tickets worth over a hundred yuan, and now he was so tired that his soul was dizzy. Yawning continuously, he plunged back into the blanket: “I won’t recite, I won’t recite, I won’t recite…”
President Huo was speechless and gently patted Liang Xiao’s back twice: “No reciting.”
Liang Xiao revealed one eye to look at him.
“I am another… fat sheep,” President Huo didn’t correct Liang Xiao anymore, slowly patting his back. “I also have a little con artist, I need to find him.”
Liang Xiao was taken aback and gradually emerged from the blanket.
“Your fat sheep will definitely come back too.”
President Huo looked at him: “When he comes back, you need to force him to go to the hospital, force him to get treatment, don’t risk your life to save him.”
Liang Xiao remembered halfway, frowned tightly, very unwilling to listen to him: “How can I not save my person?”
President Huo was taken aback, looked at him steadily for a while, closed his eyes, and lifted the corner of his mouth.
Liang Xiao was embarrassed and angry: “Is that not allowed?!”
“If you had told him this sentence earlier,” President Huo softly promised Liang Xiao, “he wouldn’t have forced you to study anymore.”
Liang Xiao: “!?!?”
“I can’t stay for long,” President Huo said. “After you fall asleep, I’ll go find my person.”
Liang Xiao was a bit concerned: “Are there many universes? Will you be able to find him?”
President Huo: “Yes.”
“I can’t stay,” President Huo said softly. “My little con artist has experienced many things, he has walked alone for a long time, it’s been very hard.”
“It took me a long time to find him.”
President Huo looked up: “I can’t leave him alone.”
He wasn’t clear about where he was or what had happened, nor did he know how to go back, how to find his little con artist again.
But he had to go find him.
The Liang Xiao who had weathered countless storms, fought for his life alone, and already experienced all the real pain and loss.
His Liang Xiao.
Little Liang Xiao had a vivid imagination and was very concerned: “If I make up for the regrets, will the other me disappear?”
President Huo had only roughly dabbled in parallel universe theory and couldn’t answer this kind of question that leaned more toward science fiction paradoxes. After a moment of silence, he said softly: “It won’t be just him.”
Liang Xiao frowned for a while, didn’t speak, and nodded slightly.
He was really too tired. Even though he tried hard to stay alert, his eyelids gradually and inevitably drooped. He clutched at the accessible corner of the clothing: “Huo Lan.”
President Huo looked down, his gaze falling on the youth curled up in the blanket.
“By that time, is our relationship still good?” Liang Xiao was covered by the blanket, his voice much softer than usual. “After you know all about me, are we still super spiral explosion good—”
President Huo: “Yes.”
Liang Xiao didn’t speak, his shoulders tightly wrapped in the blanket silently straightened as he turned over.
Liang Xiao: “Can it be even better?”
President Huo was slightly taken aback, his breath unconsciously halted as he stared at him.
In President Huo’s memory, the little Liang Xiao at this time hadn’t yet developed thoughts beyond friendship, and even half-understood the current relationship, always firmly believing that not asking his name meant they weren’t friends.
He didn’t know that little Liang Xiao had actually thought about more possibilities.
President Huo’s chest inexplicably surged with emotion. After a moment of silence, he asked softly: “How better?”
Liang Xiao was at a loss for words.
Adult books didn’t have context; how would he know how it could be better? After hemming and hawing for a long time without answering, he became embarrassed and angry: “I’m not responsible for thinking about this!”
President Huo’s voice was slightly hoarse as he stroked his hair.
Liang Xiao was particularly dissatisfied with this comforting demeanor. He sat up, pressed his hand over his mouth, and stubbornly insisted: “Don’t say it, I can figure it out.”
President Huo gazed at him for a while, lowered his eyes, smiled slightly, and nodded.
Liang Xiao wasn’t very confident and tried his best to rack his brains: “I—I can see you as soon as I get home, you can see me as soon as you wake up.”
Liang Xiao: “I’ll definitely be able to earn more money than you. In the future, I’ll support you, and you’ll just help me at home.”
Liang Xiao suddenly became vigilant: “You’re not allowed to make me stand as punishment.”
President Huo held Liang Xiao’s wrist, removed his hand: “Alright.”
“You won’t be as unhappy as you are now, and I won’t have to hide things from you.”
Liang Xiao’s ears warmed, and he felt a bit embarrassed: “A lifetime… a lifetime always together, like a family.”
Liang Xiao wasn’t quite satisfied and corrected himself: “We are a family.”
Liang Xiao carefully examined his expression and probed: “Will it be like that?”
President Huo said softly: “It will.”
The youth stared at him intently, his eyes uncontrollably brightening: “Really?”
President Huo nodded: “Really.”
Liang Xiao couldn’t suppress the corners of his mouth from lifting, but remembering that the fat sheep before him wasn’t the one he was familiar with, he tried to press it down, nodded very maturely, and calmly lay back down.
Liang Xiao became happier the more he thought about it, covered his entire self with the blanket, and rolled forcefully on the bed several times.
President Huo quietly watched, reached out to turn off the light for him, carefully covered the curtains, and blocked even the last bit of light that might affect his nap.
Liang Xiao had been surrounded and attacked by people these days, fought several battles, was covered in injuries, and had worked several overnight shifts. After being excited for not too long, exhaustion comfortably washed over him, thoroughly enveloping his entire being.
He hadn’t had a good sleep for too long. After yawning twice and confirming once more that President Huo was by the bed, he closed his eyes contentedly.
President Huo accompanied him, listening as the boy’s breathing gradually steadied, and also closed his eyes.
Warm heat blew on his face, soft force scratched at his chest, tugging at his collar.
…
President Huo opened his eyes and looked at the small Husky happily breathing on him: “…”
“Why did you sleep for so long?”
Liang Xiao, holding the dog their President Huo had been yearning to raise for ten years, peeked out his head from behind: “It’s from Teacher Jiang. He publicly announced his relationship with Teacher Chi this morning, one-sidedly. He’s now standing outside their house as punishment. Chi Che just tore up his resignation letter and is leading a team to urgently handle public opinion. Sister Man is live streaming, and Director Yin is banging his head against the wall…”
President Huo stared at Liang Xiao and gripped his arm.
“Didn’t sleep well?” Liang Xiao looked at his complexion, placed the puppy on President Huo’s head, sat down beside him, and tested his temperature with his forehead. “It’s fine, no fever, even a bit cooler than me.”
President Huo silently closed his eyes, held him firmly in his arms, and tightened his arms.
Liang Xiao generously let him hold him and knocked on his forehead: “Awake?”
President Huo said softly: “Awake.”
Liang Xiao thought he wasn’t fully awake and bit President Huo’s lips: “Calm down.”
Liang Xiao had also had his share of chaotic dreams. Empathizing, he randomly stroked President Huo’s back several times, helping him sort out reality: “We’re at home, everything’s been handled, it’s all very good, we’re on vacation now, the dog is from Teacher Jiang…”
Before he could tirelessly recite everything from the beginning again, President Huo had already completely encircled him, bent down, and kissed Liang Xiao.
…
Liang Xiao was taken aback, then smiled, didn’t ask further, and gently stroked President Huo’s back.
The room was quiet, even the wind was warm.
Liang Xiao casually closed the curtains tightly, picked up the confused, curious, whimpering puppy, covered its eyes, and placed it back on the soft cushion at the head of the bed.
Liang Xiao closed his eyes and met President Huo’s kiss.
##
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